An Unlit Candle
by FictionallyFactual
Summary: Nancy and Ned break up. Nancy tries to act normal and to avoid sleuthing, but out of her notice, a mystery from the past comes crawling back to her.


"When are you leaving, Dad?" Nancy Drew asked. She and her father, Carson Drew were talking in the study about Mr. Drew's leaving for Canada. Nancy's father is a very famous lawyer in their town, River Heights. And at the time, a client from contacted him and said that his help is needed.

"I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow," Her father replied. "I know that you just came back and I really miss you, but the call was very important. I'll just be back in two weeks."

"It's okay, Dad, I understand." Nancy sure would miss her dad, but she knew how important his job is. Nancy knew how it feels to be apart from one's loved ones because she had experienced them when she solved mysteries far away from her home. And recently, she came back from New York from solving a case about stolen diamonds.

"You can have Bess and George for company," Mr. Drew suggested.

"Sure. Bess, George, and I actually planned to go to the new opened mall by the end of the week and go shopping together." Bess Marvin and George Fayne are best friends with Nancy since they were in kindergarten.

"And you and Ned will be having dinner tonight, right?"

"Right, Dad." Ned Nickerson, Nancy's boyfriend, invited her to have a date in the evening and Nancy agreed to go. "The two of us really haven't spent much time together for a long while, so I figured we can sort things out this evening."

"Oh, okay," Mr. Drew said. Rising from the sofa, he reached for his leather suitcase. "I need to get going to the office, Nancy. I think I won't be back 'till late in the evening, so I think you'll already leave before I return. Have fun and be careful, okay?"

"Always am. Bye, Dad!" Nancy bid and gave her father a peck on the cheeks.

"So, another case solved, huh?" Ned spoke up during his date with Nancy.

"Yep," Nancy answered. "I feel pity for the thief's wife, though. She really doesn't know anything about her husband's scheme."

Ned had to smile. He thought how amazing Nancy is for involving in such risks, but still, in the end, helped a lot of people and end up in one piece. _Oh, stop it, Nickerson_, he thought to himself, _don't be weak!_

"Ned, are you okay?"

"Huh?" Ned blinked. "Oh, yes, I, er, I'm just fine," he said looking down and picking up a piece of spinach on his plate.

"Oh, okay." Nancy pretended not to know that he has a problem. She wondered what was bothering him, but she knew better than to invade Ned's privacy.

During the rest of their meal, they had a normal and comical conversation every now and then; nevertheless, Nancy still observed that Ned's not quite in a happy mood and seems very hesitant.

Their ride home was a total silence. Nancy tried to start a conversation, but her tongue just betrayed her; maybe because her tongue, too, felt the awkwardness and tension in the air.

At last, they arrived at Nancy's house. Ned got turned off the engine, got out of the car, and opened the car door for Nancy. "Thanks," Nancy murmured. Ned nodded his "welcome" and reached helped Nancy.

As they walked towards the door, Nancy couldn't let her thoughts go of her. Ned's odd behavior that night kept on playing in her mind. Well, maybe because of her detective instincts, she just doesn't give up on her suspicions.

Before she could even think of what to say, Ned grabbed her hand and turned her about. "Nancy, I need to tell you something," he said. "I know that you took note of my odd behavior tonight, and I'm really sorry about it. "

"Ned, please tell me, are you really feeling okay?" Nancy asked him. "You could've cancelled if you were feeling like not going tonight. You know I'll understand."

Ned felt bravery slowly seeping through him. He already had decided this. "I know that you're really very understanding, Nance, and I thank you for that," he began to say, "but I have to do this and I hope you'll understand me still."

"Do what, Ned?"

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm going to get straight to the point," Ned breathed deeply. Straightforwardly, he said, "We shouldn't stay as we are now, Nancy."

Hearing those words, Nancy felt like the whole world fell right on her. She sure knew what those words mean; even so, she stood hard and still. "You're breaking up with me?"

"I'm sorry, but I need to," Ned explained, "We've got problems, Nancy. I'll be honest about that. Relationships experience problems, but those other relationships have time to talk about such things, and we don't have that. You go on solving a mystery while I go to the university, and when we do have time, it'll be in a while only or we've got disruptions we don't expect. I—"

"Ned, stop," Nancy cut him off. "You don't have to, I, I just—" She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she tried hard not to shed them. She looked down lost in words.

Ned held her hands. She raised her head, and looked at his face. "Nance, you know I love you, and that wouldn't change, but there are times when things aren't that perfect. There are things that don't go together. Besides, we can still love each other as friends, right?"

Words of disagreement were swirling around her head, but she stiffened up and said, "Thank you for the offer, Ned, but you don't have to do this. You don't need to stay friends with me just so you can make me feel better, but I'm okay. If you don't want to stay together with me, I'm fine with that. It's your choice, not mine."

"No, it's not like that, Nancy. In a relationship – boyfriend and girlfriend – you need time for your problems because you try to keep it perfect, but in friendship, you don't have to be perfect or anything like that. Just because our relationship didn't work out doesn't mean we can't stay as friends and just be enemies forever."

She felt as if her tears needed to erupt in her eyes. "Okay," she managed to say. She got her hands off his. "Goodbye, Ned. Thanks for tonight and for everything, too. I understand your decision," she looked into his eyes, "and I'm sorry."

Ned touched her face, which Nancy knew would be the last time he would touch her face like that, and said, "Thank you for understanding, Nance. I'm sorry, too that this relationship didn't work out. Goodbye." Ned tried to kiss even just her forehead, but he wasn't a fool to think that Nancy wasn't hurt. He let go of her face and just turned around, walked away, and didn't look back.

At the moment that Ned left, all the emotions within her burst out. The tears she was holding back flowed out of her eyes. Her body just stayed there outside almost motionless, even though her insides were breaking apart. She decided to stay there for quite some time – she didn't care – until she felt like everything she was keeping and blocking inside her awhile ago were already poured out of her, though she doubt there would be nothing left of the _everything _inside her.


End file.
